


I went to the store one day

by Pronombre



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: A tad of feels, Alternate Universe - Domestic, Fluff, M/M, Mentioned Tendo/Alisson, Nerds in Love, newmann - Freeform, pinning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 07:55:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14712144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pronombre/pseuds/Pronombre
Summary: Hermann went to the store one day and found a tad more than coffee and cigarettes.





	I went to the store one day

**Author's Note:**

> Had this on my drive for a tad too long and wanted to finish it , I took the title from the “Father John Misty” song and it’s OBVIOUSLY inspired by it too.  
> It was betta readed at some point (Thank you Fapple! ) but in the end I’m too dumb for writing (please don’t be hard on me, I’m just a plain and simple wannabe illustrator) and I went amok and here we are now.
> 
> English is NOT my native language, so please be kind with me in this, please.

It was a Wednesday at 2:00 am when Dr. Hermann Gottlieb, noted mathematician and astrophysicist, realized that he wasn’t going to finish his publication on time. He saved his most recent draft and set his laptop to hibernate mode. Took his parka, wallet and keys and proceeded to go to the 24 hours mini market that was near, but not that near to go by foot, from his apartment building.

He stretched a bit on the elevator to the parking lot feeling a pang of pain in his bad leg. It was so cold that night, “It’s going to rain soon” said to no one in particular  taking a look at the sky to then walk slowly to his car.  


\--  


The automatic doors of the 24 hours mini market opened making a little hissing sound when he stepped over the doormat waiting for him to enter, the warm of the store a welcome change from the frigid night air. Hermann took a basket, not bothering to grab a shopping cart as he usually did, considering that his only purchases were going to be ground coffee and cigarettes.

He politely greeted the cashier that was playing some kind of game in her phone and just answered with no more than a plain “welcome”. Right… young people and their phones.  
Hermann went straight to aisle number 3, where he couldn’t find his regular brand of coffee, but he had job to do and needed to keep himself awake, so one of those had to be. Hermann couldn’t decide over a new brand that read as “Mexican Strong Coffee” or simply go for the classic “Folgers”. Scowling at the two small packages of grounded coffee, he proceeded to compare them when a kind of squeaky voice took him out of his dilemma.  


Hermann turned to his left where the voice came from and found a  person, who was apparently arguing with two different brands of frozen pizza and a cart full of food (the kind an 8 year old would ask their parents for, but would be denied for being too unhealthy or simply for being more expensive just because it was in funny shapes) and Hermann just stood there looking at the person, listening to his monologue.

 

“Oh man, I don’t remember which brand was the one Tendo always buys, the one that won’t mess with my lactose intolerant belly and send me to an instant ‘can’t stop shitting’ mode. I mean, I could totally call him but if I do I’m sure Alison will pick up the phone and yell at me, ‘Newton Geiszler! we are trying to reproduce the human species!!” and I will answer “Al, it’s NEWT” and then I’ll be a dead man next time we see each other and I still have so much Science to do, the sea is big and I still have to find where Godzilla lives, so I guess calling is not an option, but I can’t take both because-“

Hermann couldn’t decide if he was amazed or annoyed by the speed of the man’s speech, or if he was disgusted by the very personal details he definitely didn’t want to know.

Hermann turned back and took the traditional “Folgers” one (not in the mood right now to try something new, he just needed a regular cup of coffee or 3 to keep himself awake until he finished his latest paper) and placed it in the basket that was now resting on the floor beside him.

“Hey dude! Which one do you think looks less like ‘I am going to send you to the toilet for 30 minutes?”

 

“Excuse me?” Hermann answered, deciding that he was indeed annoyed and disgusted.

“Ohhh, you have a posh accent! Which one looks better?”

“How would I know? I do not eat frozen food,” he answered annoyed at the man before leaving to go pay for his coffee.

 

Unfortunately that didn’t stop the stranger (who’s name apparently was Newton) and Hermann heard the sound of squeaky footsteps and a shopping cart, apparently going his way.

“Hey, I am sorry about my rambling, dude. I do that all the time and-“

“My name is not ‘Dude’,“ said Hermann feeling, the irritation rising now that the squeaky footsteps and voice were beside him.

“Oh, well, I don’t know your name but I can call you “Mr. Posh Accent” if you want”

Hermann turned to the man and his frown turned into a full ‘I am angry, don’t talk to me scowl’

“My accent isn’t as you say, ‘Posh’ and my name is ’Dr. Gottlieb’ for you.”

“Oh! Bist du Deutsche?” asked the man who was apparently shorter than he looked and could speak in fluent German.

“Ja” was all Hermann answered as he continued to the cash register.

 

“Ich heiße Newton Geiszler, aber nennen mich Newt”

 

Hermann didn’t answer this time and to his horror he had to wait for the cash out to be over, so that meant Newton talking to him for minutes. Which resulted in Newton telling Hermann that he was a Marine Biologist working with a team to explore the deep seas. To be truth Hermann was surprised, Newton didn’t look like the type, he was too wild and too energetic, Herman though at first glance that he looked like some college drop out with too many tattoos, that had a rock band or something, not a… a Doctor too, he was indeed interested and curious now.  
Newton’s passion for his job and his likings here so obvious now that he had set his prejudices aside. Newton asked him about what he did for a life, Hermann didn’t know why he answered with that ease but he did and so he told Newton about him and the paper he was working on.  
  
“...It is a theory for now, but I want to be able to put it into practice” Hermann said hopefully, Newt thank him for sharing his vision and ‘as a reward’ (as Newton said)  talked him about the recent paper he had submitted about deep sea wildlife.  
  
“...And that’s why I think that Godzilla may be deep under the sea, but I couldn’t wrote that in the paper and I’m giving you the ‘director’s cut version’, but I think she’s down there, I can feel it, dude. Can you imagine it?”  
  
“Everything is interesting but with all due respect, if she had existed we would had found a trace of such a big creature,” Hermann said aseptically.  
  
“Oh really? Are you the Biologist and deep sea expert? Dude, stick to your math and physics  calculations about multidimensional shit”  
  
“My job is not ‘shit’ as you state, it is a respectable and very provable theory!-”  
  
The bickering continued until the cashier cleared her throat to call their attention and both man turned annoyed answering at the same time:

 

“What?!”

“Are you going to pay or not, mister? Because there are more people besides you in the line”

 

Hermann turned and saw a couple of young woman waiting behind them in line with very annoyed expressions.

 

“Oh…Yes, I am sorry” said Hermann. He asked for a pack of cigarettes, took his bag and his change, and left  the mini market, too embarrassed to look back, deciding that he deserved a cigarette after the commotion.

The door of the minimarket opened again and Newton came out, pushing his cart full of “children food,” as Hermann had dubbed it. Newton spotted him and walked his way, giggling.

 

“Sorry Herms, I think we overdid it back there,” added the man, leaning into the shopping cart to fish out a bag of cheesey popcorn.

“Yes indeed, and it’s Hermann”

“Yeah, I know Herms”

Hermann just rolled his eyes and finished his cigarette.

 

“So, I was thinking... Do you want to go and have a coffee with me one day? Like, tomorrow maybe?” asked Newton. He was not looking at Hermann and was instead cleaning his fingers inside the sleeves of his sweater, that where now unrolled.

 

“Hmm, I don’t know,” answered Hermann pretending to be uninterested.

“We can keep talking about science and stuff,” added Newton, this time looking his way with a little smile.

“Only if you are going to call me by my name”

“Yes, sure, absolutely! No nickname giving or anything, Herms. Oh shit-” said Newton covering his mouth quickly and Herman gave him his lopsided smile.

 

They kept talking a little more until Hermann informed Newton that he had to go, if he wanted to finish his paper and make it to their appointment on time. Newton apologized and said his good byes not before going to Hermann and leaning on his tip toes to kiss him on the cheek.

Hermann could feel the slightly wet lips and cold nose press his cheek fast and then he saw the man push his shopping cart fast.

 

Newton stopped and turned to Hermann giggling and he said-  


**“CLEANING TO AISLE 5, PLEASE”**

 

 _“What?”_ Herman said and blinked a few times.

He was still in aisle 3 with two small packages of coffee one in each hand, still in the same place looking at the man who was by now on his phone.

 

He was still in aisle 3 and realized that this Newton Geiszler person, small, chubby, with big thick black rimmed glasses, a black hoodie with rolled up sleeves that revealed a bunch of colourful tattoos, a turquoise fluffy scarf, skinny jeans that maybe where a little bit too tight and matching blue rain boots, was maybe the most handsome person he had ever seen in his life and also the most unreachable.

 

He turned to the coffees in his hands and picked one throwing it with maybe too much force in his basket and picking it feeling now, too many things but mostly, sadness and shame.

 

It was raining when he went to his car, his leg was hurting more now and he was suddenly feeling very sad, ashamed, and maybe disappointed. Hermann rested his forehead on the wheel.

How silly he was to think that someone as handsome and obviously opposite to him was going to be attracted to someone that was on the border of maybe too thin, had a pinched nose, prominent cheekbones, slightly big ears and also used a cane to walk, in other words… Him.  
  
Hermann closed his eyes harder; he felt like crying and maybe he did.

 

Hermann still had work to do.  
He decided that maybe he was never going to find love, but then who needed love?  
Love was a luxury and he had many other things to fill his days. Yes, his math, his physics, his chalkboards, his programming.  
Yes, he had many things, everything he needed.

Everything but love.

 

Hermann took the car keys from his parka pocket and was about to start the engine when a tap in his window made him jump in his seat.  
It was him, it was that Newton Geiszler person waving at him.

Hermann lowered his window and looked at the big green eyes that were looking at him, was he fantasizing again? Newton was saying something to him but he didn’t hear him under his own thoughts.

 

“Excuse me?”

“You forgot your cigarettes over there” he said again and smiled to Hermann.

“Oh. Oh, thank you”

“It’s nothing dude, have good night” said Newton before he walked away to his own car.

 

 _At least had the opportunity to talk to him_ , Hermann thought as he drove back to his home.  


\--

 

Hermann entered his apartment and farefully hung his now wet parka on the wall peg closer to the door. He rested his face over the table, now Hermann didn’t felt like finishing the paper anymore; he could call and say he got sick and ask for a few days more.

 

Yes, he was going to do that but first, he was going to have a cigarette and then he was going to bed.

Hermann took the paper bag, took out the coffee and placed it in the pantry, then fished in the bag for his pack of cigarettes… There were two.  
Why were there two?

 

He stood still for a few seconds and emptied the bag on the table, and yes, there were two packs of apparently exactly the same cigarettes except that one didn’t had the plastic envelope.

 

Did that mean that Newton had…Hermann took the package and turned it over in his hands, not believing his eyes.  
  
There was a number and a small _‘Call me? Xoxo, Newt’_  
  
Hermann laughed joyfully,  took one of the cigarettes and went to his balcony to have a smoke to calm himself.  
After a few minutes he texted the new number, “Thank you for the cigarettes.” and went to bed with the package and phone in hand.  


His phone buzzed a few minutes later.  


_“I’ve seen you around… What’s your name?”_  


\--  


Hermann found the love of his life, all because he went to the store one day.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I think Newton had seen Hermann around too.  
> So for more context in this, I think Newt lives nearby but their schedules are different. Hermann awakes when Newton goes to sleeps. The times Newton had seen Hermann had been in the mini market, but Hermann go straight to business or when Hermann notice him, he pretendes to be immersed in something else, But Newt is... Newt and instead of just letting it past, I think Newt would try to do something for it... and I am a hopeless romantic and I love this song.
> 
> If you hadn't listened to it, here it is~  
> [I went to the store one day](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onJjd1I1o_U)
> 
> ♥ Find me on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/mustardoodles/) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/TheJoeMustard) ♥


End file.
